''Turn Based Tactics'' is a specialized subgenre of TurnBasedStrategy. What makes Tactical games different is their scope: While strategic games (like ''TabletopGame/{{Risk}}'' or ''{{VideoGame/Civilization}}'') revolve around the abstract mechanics of efficiently waging war, exploiting resources and controlling huge groups of combatants all at once ([[UnitsNotToScale whether or not it's readily apparent]]), tactical games focus on [[TurnBasedCombat controlling individual soldiers or vehicles]]. Due to this constricted scope, recruitment and construction take place outside of combat, if they even factor into the game at all.

TBT games tend to place a higher worth on individual {{Mook}}s. To accommodate this, detailed grid maps, status rules like stance or facing and a spot high up the SlidingScaleOfTurnRealism are common. Backing this up, the combatants themselves tend to be modeled in greater statistical detail, with their load-outs, RPGElements, SubsystemDamage and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere morale]]. Unlike Grand Strategy games, Tactical games often put a hard limit the number of units that can be fielded, meaning that if one is lost [[KilledOffForReal it can never be replaced]].

As with TurnBasedStrategy games, gameplay alternates between players: Each player has the time to contemplate their next move and execute it, before relinquishing control to the next player. There are some exceptions to this, primarily the [[RealTimeWithPause Simultaneous Turn Resolution]] (aka "WEGO") model, in which players formulate and submit their orders for the turn at the same time, and then all soldiers act simultaneously on those orders.

Where Tactical games overlap with {{Role Playing Game}}s, several other similarities may be involved. In particular, the ability to alter units' equipment and to [[ExperiencePoints gain experience]] (thereby making units stronger as the game progresses).

Some TBT games are self-contained: each match or mission is a singular experience, having no influence on subsequent matches. Most however have a Grand Strategy or Adventure portion that serves to "tie" the matches together, with some large-scale goal to strive towards. Even so, the focus is always on the player's performance in each match. Therefore, Strategic success in such games stems from repeated Tactical success, not the other way around. For example, losing an important territory early on in the Strategic portion of the game may make future Tactical matches a little harder, but failing a single Tactical match may cost you the entire game. This is the opposite of Grand Strategy, where one lost battle rarely means GameOver.

Since the start of the 21st century, TBT games have been in recession in what was their strongest market: the personal computer. The appearance of computers that could easily process gameplay in RealTime attracted a large portion of Strategy Game fans towards RealTimeStrategy in one direction, and towards {{Tactical Shooter}}s in the other direction. Recent attempts to make TBT games have been based primarily around free online [[CasualVideoGame casual matches]]. Nonetheless, yesterday's TBT games continue to maintain hard-core supporters who refuse to give up easily. The result is that some of these games are still being played long after they've been abandoned by the mainstream fans. [[VideoGame/XCom Some]] even continue to top the all-time-favorite videogame lists, year after year.

Compare StrategyRPG. See also CommonTacticalGameplayElements.

'''Note that Turn-Based Tactics is a [[VideoGameGenres genre]]. Games where tactical TurnBasedCombat does not form the central gameplay core (such as [=RPGs=]) should go under [[TurnBasedCombat that trope]]'s examples instead.'''

----!! Examples:[[index]]* ''VideoGame/AbominationTheNemesisProject''* Some sections of games in the ''Battle Isle'' series, like ''Incubation: Time is Running Out'' and ''The Andosia War''.* ''Videogame/CallOfCthulhuTheWastedLand'', a Cthulhu Mythos-themed videogame set during World War One.* The ''VideoGame/CombatMission'' series (uses Simultaneous Turn Resolution).* The ''{{VideoGame/CyberStorm}}'' series (of the ''{{VideoGame/Starsiege}}:{{VideoGame/Tribes}}'' universe)* ''VideoGame/DoctorWhoLegacy'' combines this rather brilliantly with a MatchThreeGame system. * ''VideoGame/FalloutTacticsBrotherhoodOfSteel'', although turn-based mechanics were optional, and could be freely alternated with real-time mechanics.* ''VideoGame/FrozenSynapse''. It features [[RealTimeWithPause simultaneous turn resolution]].* ''VideoGame/GhostRecon: Shadow Wars''* ''VideoGame/HeroicArmiesMarching'', which also combines elements of a card game.* ''VideoGame/InvisibleInc''* ''JaggedAlliance'' and its sequels. Most of them had plenty of highly-details grand-strategy and role-playing elements woven in.* ''VideoGame/{{Just Tactics}}'' is a turn-based, 1v1 online multiplayer, tactical war game that involves squad-based combat, deck building, and some awesome teleporter units.* ''VideoGame/{{Odium}}''/''Gorky 17''* ''VideoGame/ThePerfectGeneral''* ''VideoGame/ShadowWatch''* ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAcePatrol'' and ''Sid Meier's Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies'' - instead of a squad of soldiers, you are controlling a squadron of fighter pilots during WorldWarOne and WorldWarTwo, respectively.* ''SilentStorm''** ''Literature/NightWatch'' and ''DayWatch'', The Games: Most enjoyment is to be had for fans of the setting who can look past the crippling bugs, but otherwise an excellent idea with a horrible execution, based on ''S2''[='s=] engine.* ''VideoGame/SpaceRangers'', during the space-flight portion of the game (and using simultaneous turn resolution).* ''{{Steambirds}}''* ''VideoGame/SteelPanthers''. The third game in the series [[UnitsNotToScale depicts individual units as platoons (4 tanks or 20-something soldiers) instead of seperate squads and vehicles]].* ''VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}}'' has tactical battles broken up by VisualNovel-style narrative scenes.* The upcoming [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/409030043/warmachine-tactics Warmachine Tactics]] game, currently on Kickstarter.* A number of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' games, like ''Space Crusade'', ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000ChaosGate'', and ''Squad Command''.* ''{{VideoGame/Worms}}''* Most games in the ''VideoGame/XCom'' series. They featured Turn-Based combat, but relied on real time for the Geoscape/world-map portion. The other games, namely Enforcer, Interceptor, and 2K Marin's XCOM were of very different genres to the originals.** ''In X-COM: Apocalypse'', players were given the option to play combat as either Turn-Based or Real-Time, but had to make that decision before each battle began and could not switch mid-battle.** ''LaserSquad'', the predecessor to ''X-Com'', and the newer ''Laser Squad: Nemesis'' (using Simultaneous Turn Resolution.)** The open source ''UFOAlienInvasion'' FanGame** ''VideoGame/{{Xenonauts}}''** ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' - the remake of the first game of the previous franchise.[[/index]]